Wagner Overtures & Preludes
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Richard Wagner
Label: Philips
Magazine Review Date: 4/1991
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 66
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 426 271-2PH

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
(Der) Fliegende Holländer, '(The) Flying Dutchman', Movement: Overture |
Richard Wagner, Composer
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Richard Wagner, Composer Seiji Ozawa, Conductor |
Lohengrin, Movement: Prelude |
Richard Wagner, Composer
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Richard Wagner, Composer Seiji Ozawa, Conductor |
(Die) Meistersinger von Nürnberg, '(The) Masters, Movement: Prelude |
Richard Wagner, Composer
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Richard Wagner, Composer Seiji Ozawa, Conductor |
Tannhäuser, Movement: Overture |
Richard Wagner, Composer
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Richard Wagner, Composer Seiji Ozawa, Conductor |
Tristan und Isolde, Movement: Prelude and Liebestod (concert version: arr. Humpe |
Richard Wagner, Composer
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Richard Wagner, Composer Seiji Ozawa, Conductor |
Author: Ivan March
Glorious sound here: rich, warm and spacious. There is refined detail, too, partly the result of the conductor's care both with phrasing and the inner-relationships of the scoring and part-writing, and partly the superbly polished orchestral response, but it also reflects the felicity of producer, Erik Smith, and his balance engineer, Erdo Groot. The performances, however, lack something in sheer gusto (Der fliegende Hollander) and grip—the central section of Die Meistersinger Prelude is very relaxed within a reading that is essentially spacious.
The string playing at the opening of the Lohengrin Prelude is exquisite in its sustained pianissimo, but doesn't generate much tension: that arrives suddenly in an almost sudden burst of powerful excitement before the exultant climax. The Tristan Prelude and Liebestod have more adrenalin, but overall I find Karajan (or before him, Furtwangler) much more involving in this repertoire, although neither conductor ever received recording as sumptuously rich as this.'
The string playing at the opening of the Lohengrin Prelude is exquisite in its sustained pianissimo, but doesn't generate much tension: that arrives suddenly in an almost sudden burst of powerful excitement before the exultant climax. The Tristan Prelude and Liebestod have more adrenalin, but overall I find Karajan (or before him, Furtwangler) much more involving in this repertoire, although neither conductor ever received recording as sumptuously rich as this.'
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